In a world projected toward an increasingly sustainable future and looking more and more at choices that allow for lower economic and environmental impacts, it is important to focus on all the alternatives that the machine tool market offers. In this regard, UCIMU last year published its first Sustainability Report, which demonstrates the machine tool industry's growing focus on sustainability in the ESG (governance, social and environmental) sphere, which can offer some interesting insights, especially in the last item.
In fact, the environmental sustainability of the industry is realized by acting according to the principles of circular economy, resource saving (energy and materials) and minimization of environmental impact, including through the realization of machines, plants and components that enable the circularity of the value chain by placing, in addition, as a top priority, the design and manufacture of safe and technologically advanced machinery. In this sense, it is undeniable that the purchase of used machinery represents an advantageous solution in both environmental terms - since a second life is given to a piece of machinery that is still capable of performing to high production standards - and economic terms.
Another factor that must be taken into account is the immediate availability of remanufactured second-hand equipment: nowadays, in fact, the supply chain is in difficulty due also to the lack of components; this means that the delivery of a new machine often takes several months. The second-hand market responds to this need, because the equipment is already visible and ready after only a few weeks, allowing you to be productive within a much shorter time. In addition to this advantage, the purchase of used machinery offers small businesses and entrepreneurs the opportunity to expand their production capacities, something otherwise prevented by the prohibitive costs of new machinery, which would pulverise the budget for other important implementations.
Reducing initial costs frees up resources that can be invested in other areas of production or distribution, helping to optimise the use of available resources. This choice makes it possible to optimise and reduce the impact of initial costs for a growing company, provided you are clear about the objectives for which you are making the purchase.
It must also be said that in this way higher-end plants, sometimes not even taken into consideration because they are too expensive, become purchasable instead: this means being able to count on an extremely reliable plant, unlike a new lower-end one, which may not respect the promised level of service. Moreover, opting for second-hand machinery minimises the risk of making a mistaken purchase, while guaranteeing practically the same advantages as a new plant; the choice of remanufactured second-hand also allows one to update one's machinery more frequently (not having the same purchase costs as new) and it is easier to replace the machinery with more advanced models from time to time, without having to spend exorbitant sums.
Finally, in the case of DG Tech, there is also an extra element: relying on an official partner of a large group like BLM means enjoying all the advantages that customers who buy a new system can take advantage of: original spare parts and official service, maintenance and warranty contracts, as well as the professionalism and know-how of the world's leading group in the sector.